Lab Support Procedures

for Student Assistants

Opening the Labs

Arrive on Time

If you are scheduled to be in the lab any day Monday - Friday, you should arrive at
least 10 minutes before the hour. This means 7:20 AM to ensure that any 7:30 AM students
will be able to enter the lab and get started by our scheduled opening time. We do
allow you leave 10 minutes before your first class starts so that you won’t be late.

Turn on the lights in the lab if they are not already on.

Scan the room to see if you notice anything out of the ordinary. Immediately report
any missing items to the Staff Assistant.

Check the Electronic Classroom Schedule to see when the first class is scheduled.
Sometimes the first class is scheduled for 8:00 AM. Make sure that the Room/Area is
ready for the class, if feasible.

Turn on all hardware that is not already on.

Check the paper in the Laser Printers and MFD's.

Check the entire room(s) for neatness. CLEAN UP ANY PROBLEMS.

Perform duties/projects requested by the Staff Assistant.

Daily Responsibilities and Activities

BE on time and be ACCESSIBLE, be courteous and helpful and display a positive attitude
at all times. Your job is to make sure our users get their questions answered.

Student Assistants should be visibly accessible while on duty. There are tables and
desks to use to be available to the patrons. You should not be sitting at the lab
computers or within the staff area unless the Staff Assistant is out of the room.
Student Assistants on duty should not be entertaining friends and/or attending to
their children. You may leave your personal effects and valuables in the Student Assistant
desk within the staff area but should remove them when you are finished working.

Answer the LAB TELEPHONE in the following fashion: "Hello, (lab name) Lab, this is
(your name), How may I help you?"

ORIENT users who are NEW to the lab. LEARN the software installed in your lab.

Web documentation at the IT site should also be studied during down times to enhance your knowledge.

Refer to the LAB MANUALS and WEB DOCUMENTATION when you can not answer user questions.
Refer QUESTIONS or PROBLEMS that you can not answer to the Help Desk. (Lab manuals
and documentation may NOT be taken out of the lab.

Do NOT do user's homework for them. Do not touch the user’s mouse or keyboard without
their permission. Before giving any advice encourage the user to save their work or
send it to their email account.

Try NOT to spend more than five minutes away from your desk assisting any one user.
Other users may be waiting for your return/assistance.

Check the Electronic Classroom Schedule to see when the next class is scheduled. Make
sure that the rooms are ready for the next class.

Check the paper in the Laser Printers and MFD's.

Notify the Staff Assistant of changes in the electronic classroom schedule, such as
when a faculty member does NOT SHOW UP for a scheduled class.

The SECURITY of the lab, its hardware, and its software is your responsibility. Even
when you are away from your desk, keep an EYE on the door and general activity in
the room. Your alertness will prevent personal belongings, expensive equipment, and
documentation from walking.

Items left by users should be placed behind the Staff Assistant's desk. Call security
to pick up wallets and/or purses.

Report any LAB SUPPLIES that need re-stocking to your supervisor.

Walk around the room every 15 minutes or so, pushing in chairs, making sure there
is no food or drink on the desks, and neatening work areas. This also alerts users
to the fact that you work in the lab.

General Rules for Users

Customers using the lab must be affiliated with CCRI.

Users may only use the telephone in the lab to call a college extension.

Eating, drinking, and animals, other than guide dogs, are not allowed in the Labs.

Users cannot save any information to the hard disks. Users should bring their own
storage medium on which to save their work.

If a user needs to borrow documentation, you must collect the user's CCRI ID. Documentation should be placed on the proper shelf upon return.

If a user needs to borrow a set of earphones, you must collect the user's CCRI ID.

Laptops and Tablets: Laptops and tablets can be used in the labs on a table dedicated
for this purpose.

Printers

If you notice a "Toner Low" reading on a printer alert your supervisor to the need
to have an extra cartridge readily available.

TONER CARTRIDGE REPLACEMENT: If the toner for the laser printer is getting weak, or black lines are appearing on
the output, follow these procedures below:

Do not replace the cartridge at first sign of poor quality print. Try to use the toner
to its fullest. Remove it when it is getting low and gently rock the cartridge several
times, then return it to the printer. Be careful not to get any of the black powder
on your hands or clothes.

If the print quality continues to worsen, and the removing of the cartridge to gently
rock it is becoming too frequent, then replace the cartridge.

Additional toner cartridges are stocked in the lab.

Preparing the Electronic Classrooms for a Class

It is the responsibility of the Lab staff to prepare the Electronic Classrooms for
the arrival of a class. This includes:

Opening the door

Checking that all machines are operating and powered on

Clean the whiteboard (if appropriate)

Check the printers for paper and fill as needed

Picking up any trash found

THE INSTRUCTOR SHOULD BE ABLE TO WALK INTO THE ROOM AND START CLASS IMMEDIATELY.

Cleaning the Labs

The RESPONSIBILITY for keeping the labs clean falls to EACH OF THE STUDENT ASSISTANTS.
This includes keeping the student aides’ area and the users’ areas neat. Each of you
should be sure to straighten up the student aides’ area before leaving at the end
of your shift. (Manuals should be returned to the shelves/cabinets, stray papers thrown
away, chairs and keyboards and mice straightened.) The routine chores will be shared
between the student aides who open the lab and those who close the lab.

Check the room for neatness and keep the lab clean.

Dust the tables and computers DAILY. Cleaning includes wiping down screens, keyboards,
mice, and tables. Pick up any scrap papers lying around and discard them.

All lab mice and keyboards should be cleaned with a disinfectant cleaner. A spray
bottle of a special cleaner is located in each lab and should be used at least once
a week. Presently, we have designated Saturday as the day to apply this. The cleaner
should be applied to a piece of paper towel then wiped over the keyboard and mouse
surfaces. The cleaner should never be applied directly to the surface of the keyboard
or mouse.

Lab Supplies

The lab should be equipped with necessary supplies such as printer paper, toner cartridges,
pens, pencils, scotch tape, staplers, staples, etc. Notify the lab supervisor if any
supply is low.

Closing Procedures

Close the lab on time.

Official closing time is on the hour.

Twenty (20) minutes before closing, warn the users in the lab. Verbally announce that
the lab will be closing in 20 minutes.

Repeat this at 10 minutes before the hour and again 5 minutes before the hour (if
necessary). If anyone wants to print anything they should send it NOW. Give them a
few minutes to do so.

Make sure all borrowed materials are returned by the borrowers and placed back in
the appropriate place of storage.

Clear the room.

Turn off all computers. Make sure that no CD's or DVD's are left in the drives. Eject
disks that are left behind and place in a safe place.

Put articles left in the lab in a safe place or if they are CD's, DVD's, or jump drives
put them in the desk. In the event a wallet or purse is left behind, call Security
to pick up the item.